Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … The command of Allah, the Exalted, is: {ٰیقَوْمِ ادْخُلُواالْاَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَۃَ الَّتِیْ کَتَبَ اللّٰہُ لَکُمْ وَلَا تَرْتَدُّوْا عَلٰٓی اَدْبَارِکُمْ فَتَنْقَلِبُوْاخٰسِرِیْنَ۔ قَالُوْا ٰیمُوْسٰٓی اِنَّ فِیْھَاقَوْمًاجَبَّارِیْنَ وَاِنَّالَنْ نَّدْخُلَھَاحَتّٰییَخْرُجُوْا مِنْھَا فَاِنْ یَّخْرُجُوْامِنْھَا فَاِنَّا دٰخِلُوْنَ۔ قَالَ رَجُلٰنِ مِنَ الَّذِیْنَیَخَافُوْنَ اَنْعَمَ اللّٰہُ عَلَیْھِمَا ادْخُلُوْا عَلَیْھِمُ الْبَابَ فَاِذَا دَخَلْتُمُوْہُ فَاِنَّکُمْ غٰلِبُوْنَ وَعَلَی اللّٰہِ فَتَوَکَّلُوْٓا اِنْ کُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِیْنَ۔ قَالُوْا ٰیمُوْسٰٓی اِنَّالَنْ نَّدْخُلَھَآاَبَدًا مَّا دَامُوْافِیْھَا فَاذْھَبْ اَنْتَ وَرَبُّکَ فَقَاتِلَا ٓ اِنَّا ھٰھُنَا قٰعِدُوْنَ۔ قَالَ رَبِّ اِنِّیْ لَا ٓاَمْلِکُ اِلَّا نَفْسِیْ وَاَخِیْ فَافْرُقْ بَیْنَنَاوَبَیْنَ الْقَوْمِ الْفٰسِقِیْنَ۔ قَالَ فَاِنَّھَا مُحَرَّمَۃ’‘ عَلَیْہِمْ اَرْبَعِیْنَ سَنَۃًیَتِیْھُوْنَ فِی الْاَرْضِفَلاَ تَاْسَ عَلَی الْقَوْمِ الْفٰسِقِیْنَ۔} … O my people! Enter the sacred land which Allah has prescribed for you, and do not turn back on your heels, lest you return as losers. They said, O Musa! Indeed, in it is a very mighty people, and indeed we shall never enter it until they leave from it; so if they leave from it, then surely we will enter. Two men said, from among those who feared (Allah), upon both of whom Allah had bestowed favor: Enter upon them through the gate, for when you enter it, you will surely be victorious; and upon Allah alone put your trust, if you are believers. They said, O Musa! We shall never enter it as long as they are in it; so you and your Lord go, and both of you fight, indeed we are sitting right here. He said, O my Lord! Indeed, I have no control except over myself and my brother, so separate us from the defiantly disobedient people. He said: Then surely it is forbidden to them for forty years; they will wander in the land, so do not grieve over the defiantly disobedient people. (Surah al-Ma’idah: 21–26)

The ancestral home of the Children of Israel’s forefather, Ya‘qub (alayhis salam), was Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), but during the time of Yusuf (alayhis salam) as the governor of Egypt, these people went and settled in Egypt, and from then on remained there, until Musa (alayhis salam) led them out of Egypt by night, hiding from Pharaoh. At that time, Bayt al-Maqdis was under the rule of the Amalekites, who were a brave nation. When Musa (alayhis salam) resolved to settle again in Bayt al-Maqdis, it was necessary to wage jihad against the occupying Amalekites. Thus, Musa (alayhis salam) commanded his people to enter this sacred land and also gave them glad tidings of Allah’s help. Despite this, the Children of Israel were not willing to fight the Amalekites, and at the very first stage lost heart and withdrew from jihad, showing no regard for the command of Allah and His Messenger, and displaying the worst cowardice, disrespect, and rebellion, they said: O Musa! You and your Lord go and fight. In contrast, when at the occasion of the Battle of Badr, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) consulted the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum), they, despite their small numbers and lack of resources, expressed a firm resolve to participate in jihad.

Birk al-Ghimad is the name of a place. According to one opinion, it is at a distance of five days’ journey beyond Makkah al-Mukarramah; this means that it would be about fifteen days’ journey from Madinah al-Munawwarah. It is also said that it is across Hijr, or the name of a city in Abyssinia (Habashah).